The Patriot Film Analysis

Want to read the rest of this paper? Join Essayworld today to view this entire essay and over 50,000 other term papers

At this early point in the plot, an obvious Eurocentric historical perspective emerges. The budding Revolution is portrayed as a valiant grassroots attempt to overthrow an oppressive British crown and gain political autonomy for the colonies. Although they will be fighting their brethren, the Continentals are the brave warriors who will usher in a new era for European civilization. Several elements in the film, some subtle and some overt, convey its Eurocentric attitude. The treatment of Blacks and Indians in the film is one of the key elements that inform the film's historic perspective; so is the portrayal of the Revolution as noble, inspired, and righteous cause, a natural evolutionary leap for Continental supremacy.
In spite of Benjamin's initial reluctance to take up arms, he spent a significant portion of his life battling the Indians and French. In fact, the Fort Wilderness story is one of the main Eurocentric elements in The Patriot. The filmmaker builds up the Fort ...

Get instant access to over 50,000 essays. Write better papers. Get better grades. Already a member? Login

while his sons look on terrified. This hints at what occurred at Fort Wilderness. Later, Benjamin tells Gabriel that they chopped the Indians to bits and mailed their fingers and tongues: the Indians, not the French. For while they were also fighting the French army, the Indians are the ones being portrayed as being savage and brutal, worthy of being chopped to bits. Notably, no Native Americans appear on the scene in the entire film: their culture and people are suitably ignored, removed from the lesson plan of history. Deliberately removing them from the screen solidifies the Euro-centric stance of the film. The British victory during the wars is over the Native Americans; the ...

Succeed in your coursework without stepping into a library. Get access to a growing library of notes, book reports, and research papers in 2 minutes or less.

CITE THIS PAGE: